Mumbai : Developed by GoQuest Digital Studios, the only independent end-to-end boutique content studio in the world backed by GoQuest Media Ventures, the show featuring the 9th edition of the FMSCI MMSC Volkswagen Ameo Cup has struck a chord with motorsports enthusiasts and sports lovers across the country. The numbers speak for themselves-the complete episodes of the show have already clocked 10million organic views and still counting, proving to be a huge hit amongst motorsport enthusiasts.
Held across 3 cities over 5 months with 20 racers in contention, the Volkswagen Ameo Cup is India’s only one-make championship motorsports event. Currently in its 9th avatar, the event is followed closely by motorsports enthusiasts, however has inched slowly outside the niche motorsports community.
The discourse changed in 2018 with the inception and onset of GoQuest Digital Studios, which acquired the end-to-end content development and distribution responsibility for the erstwhile Ameo Cup.The GoQuest team carved a new strategy to make the show look fast and entertaining on video for the viewers, by bringing in the human element for the first time ever! Covering the races in great detail, the show brings out the ballet-like passion and teamwork of those involved, coupled with cutting-edge racing technology and driving strategy by racers over the hard-fought tournament, making every episode come alive with a range of emotions and twists!
In an unprecedented move, the series has been distributed across 50 countries apart from India. Understanding the importance of multilingual content, GQDS has also made the series available in 4 languages English, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam and produced it at scale, a feat not attempted by any independent content studio/partner in India.
Leaving conventional modes of dissemination aside, GQDS avoided mainstream social media platforms like YouTube and Facebook. Alternatively, it on-boarded a niche sports programming channel such as DSPORT as the official Broadcast Partner. The platform also associated with Sharechat as the official social media partner and Jio Cinema as the show’s telecom partner to offer 360 degree engagement with audiences.
Commenting on the success, Darshan Bhatt, Director, GoQuest Digital Studios said, “Witnessing an epic event such as the Ameo Cup and developing a show around it has been an exhilarating journey for all of us at GQDS! From the get-go, we wanted the series to be much more than just a racing show, focusing equally on the glamour, technology and the humane side of the world rather than just the podium finishes. Through our interactions with the drivers, crew-members and other individuals involved in racing, we developed great respect to the contribution made by every member towards the eventual victory. We are glad that the show has been able to capture these dimensions well and the rave reviews from the audiences have validated our hard work. The show has delivered its final leg, and we are overwhelmed with the kind of response we have garnered from our audience. The series indeed has generated more interest about motorsports in the country.”
To ensure the show gets maximum visibility throughout the country, GQDS team chose specific channel partners, for instance Yupp TV was selected as an OTT Partner with its highest reach in South India and also for the Tamil speaking diaspora in North America. GirlsXP.com, a women’s lifestyle & fashion platform was also roped on board as its Lifestyle Partner, as the democratic racing series comprised 2 young women racers as well.
The intent clearly has been to reach out to an increasing number of aspiring girls/women to follow the conventionally male-dominated world of motorsports. With women competing head-to-head with male drivers, GQDS positioned the show as a driver of changing gender roles as well as a catalyst of massive social change.
The risk of having an alternative engagement strategy however has paid off for the show! The successful implementation and delivery of the Series has resulted in a massive spike in viewership and has made the show, as well as GQDS, extremely popular in the motorsports content category.
